Home
by Syrae
Summary: She hasn't talked to her family for six years. And now, after one phone call, she needs to go back and face all of them. Set in my 'Attached' universe.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey, guys. This popped into my head and I just had to share it with you guys. It's sorta a sequel to 'Attached', but I don't know how long this story is going to be. Just bear with me...**

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Shireen Rabb's apartment

Somewhere in Miami

0230 hours local

Shireen's POV

Something woke me up. I don't know what it is; I just know that I'm awake right now. I listen to the quietness of my apartment. Everything is still. There is nothing here that could've woken me up. Then why am I awake?

My life has been a roller coaster lately. A lot of things have happened in a small amount of time, and I'm still trying to cope with it. I'm teaching history now, at the local university, just a few blocks down the road. I have next to no contact with my family any more. My daughter has never seen my parents or my siblings. She's three years old and doesn't know I even have family. The last time I talked to either of my parents was six years ago. Gabriel tried to fix things between us, but to no avail. My big brother can't fix everything.

Truth is; everything Dad had tried to worn me for, and that I waved off, came true. All of it. He'd seen that Enrique would only cause me pain, but I was stupid and I followed my heart anyway. And at first, everything was fine. Things were great. For the first two and a half years, we were good together. I could live my life, and Enrique could live his and we would just be all right. But when Enrique found out that I was pregnant…

Everything went downhill from there. He didn't want the baby; he wanted the freedom that we'd had. He wasn't ready to really settle down. He wasn't ready for the commitment a baby brought with it. So he left. Left me while pregnant; moved and disappeared out of my life. He, too, has never seen his daughter. Our daughter.

Dad had warned me that that might happen. That Enrique was going to walk out on me at some point. But me being me, I didn't want to listen to him. I simply didn't want to hear his reasons. It took me about two and a half years to get over the fact that Enrique has left me. I started dating again only a few months ago. Fact is, that a part of me is still in love with him. That I can't seem to get over him, not really, no matter how hard I try.

I lean in the doorway to my daughter's room and look at her. She looks like her father. She has his eyes; she sometimes has his expression on her beautiful little face. Her name is Tally. Little Talitha Chavez. I wanted her to have her father's last name. He is listed on her birth certificate, too. Tally is a hand full, and sometimes I wonder why the hell I try to be a single parent, but then she does something that makes me laugh, or just simply makes my whole day better, and I figure that it is all worth it. The struggle, the pain, all of it.

Smiling, I close the door behind me and look at a picture on the wall. Her second birthday, last year. Tally is sitting on Harry's lap, wearing an improvised paper crown on her head, and smiling brightly at the camera. Harry is a close friend of mine; he's a co-worker at the university.

We've never been together, and we never will, although some people might have a different opinion about that. Mrs. Riley, who lives two apartments down the hall from me, is always prying about Harry and me. She really likes to stick her nose in other peoples business. I learned to deal with that years ago, so I just smile and let the lady believe what she wants to believe. Whatever she thinks is fine with me.

Sighing, I get back in bed. But my mind just won't stop spinning. It won't let go of the fact that I just know something is wrong. But I don't know what. I can't wrap my brain around it. Usually, when something is wrong, I feel it. But this feeling is different from what I always feel. And it really bothers me that I can't place it.

I try to close my eyes and get some sleep, because tomorrow morning, Nevaeh will wake up early because it's Friday, and on Fridays we always do something with the two of us, because I don't have to go to work. By the time I'm finally drifting off to sleep, the telephone starts to ring. Who for the love of God could possibly be calling me at 0315 in the morning?

"Hello?"

It stays quiet on the other end of the line. "Hello?" I ask again. "Who is this?"

"Shireen… I need you to come back home. Something's happened to your father…"

And all it takes for my world to get turned upside down are five words and my mother's voice.

"_Something's happened to your father…"_

_

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_**TBC... Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Sorry that it took me so long to update, everyone... RL got in the way, again. :S Thank you for all the reviews. Hope you'll enjoy this next chap. **

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Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, MA

1110 hours local

I look up to the building in front of me and swallow hard. I grew up in this place; everything is familiar, even the hospital. And after six years, that is where I will see my family again. God, I hope they were able to help Dad. He and Mom were out sailing, and just as they docked, he fell over. My father, at age sixty-three, had a heart-attack. Scared the hell out of my mother, of course. My siblings. Me.

I don't get it. He's been in perfect health his whole life… well, as far as six years ago he was. And now he has a heart-attack. I'm scared to go in. Tally is looking up at me with her big brown eyes, expecting, needing me to be the stronger one. She's just a little kid…

Okay, girl, you can do this. You're Shireen Rabb, and you can do this. You can go in and face your family. And you can pray and hope that they will be forgiving. Of course I can do this. Can't I? Gathering all my courage, I lift Tally up in my arms and walk up the steps to the hospital. My heart is racing, my throat is dry and I keep telling myself to keep walking. To go and face them. Really face them.

The ICU-unit is busy; nurses and doctors are running off and on. Tally buries her head in my neck. Yeah, honey, I know. I'm tired, too. "Close your eyes, Tal. It's okay, I'm right here."

Within seconds, she asleep. Sometimes, she's easy. I swallow again and make my way up to the reception desk. What are my siblings going to say to me being here? The thought alone has made me nauseous. The nurse is an older lady, with a friendly smile. "Can I help you?"

"They brought my father in last night. Harmon Rabb?"

Checking her computer, the nurse nods. "Your mother is in the family waiting room." She points to a door behind me.

I let my breath out. "Is Dad going to be okay? I mean, a heart-attack is serious…"

"A heart-attack is serious, yes," the nurse confirms. "He's stable, and he has been awake, so for now everything is fine. He just gave you all a very big scare. The doctor should be coming soon to update you guys."

A big scare. Ha. That is not funny. Dad can't die for at least another decade or two, or something. More like he gave _us_ a heart-attack. I press Tally against me for support. This little girl is the most precious thing I have in the entire world. I don't know what I'd do if she ever died. God, please don't let me find out. Ever.

"Where is my Dad? Can I see him?" I ask.

The nurse shakes her head. "Not yet. The doctor is with him, right now. Why don't you go see your mother first?"

Because I haven't seen my mother in six years, lady, and I'm scared to death about facing her after walking out on them the way I did. I try to keep the tears at bay, but they escape down my cheek nonetheless. Damnit. I wipe my cheek with my sleeve and sniff. "I'm sorry," I apologize. "Is Mom alone in there?"

"For now. Your brother and sisters just left to go arrange some things. Your mother ordered them out." She gives my hand a gentle squeeze. "Did you have a long trip?"

"First flight out of Miami around 0450 this morning." I let my breath out. "I haven't seen my Mom in six years; I haven't seen either one of them in six years. And now this…"

The nurse comes around and squeezes my shoulder. "In that case, I think that your mother would really like to see you:"

That's what I've been hoping every since I got on that plane. That she won't be mad – well, she will be mad at me, but mostly happy to see me. But I know that she'll be mad. And disappointed. Both of it. Really. And I hate it. I hate the fact that I disappointed my parents.

Didn't I say that I could do this? I can, can't I? Taking another deep breath, I lift my head up, like my Mom always told me to, and start to walk toward the family room. The fact that I am going to see my mother, that she is actually on the other side of the door, is a bit surreal to me. It's strange.

I slowly push the door open and gasp. My mother is sitting on the other side of the room, staring into the coffee cup in her hands. Her short hair pushed behind her ear, her face pale, her eyes red and puffy. No doubt that she hasn't slept, or that she's taken a shower and changed. No way. My father is her other half; there ain't no way that she is leaving him before she knows that everything is going to be okay.

"Mom?" My voice is barely more than a whisper and I clear my throat. "Mom?"

She looks up, this time. At first, I'm not sure that she recognizes me, but then her lips pull up in a small smile. A tiny smile. "Shireen… You made it…" She rises out of her seat and comes walking over to. If she's surprised to see that I have a toddler in my arms, she doesn't show it. "I'm so glad that you decided to come, honey."

I nod, not able to say anything. I try to swallow my tears, but again, without success. They start to roll down my cheeks again. "I'm so sorry, Mom… So absolutely sorry…"

Mom strokes me over my head and envelopes me in a hug. "Let's forget about all that for a minute, all right?" The tears are rolling down her cheeks, too. "I'm so happy to see you, Reen."

Until now, I hadn't realized how much I missed this. Missed her. My mother is a haven, a safe place. I cling to her as if I don't ever want to let her go again. I probably don't. She strokes over my head over and over again, whispering calming words into my ear. And for a moment, I can put everything that has happened behind me, and just be here.

When my tears finally subside, I pull back and sniff. "I'm sorry," I say.

Mom takes my hand and leads me to the sofa. Pushes me into a seat. "Honey, I've cried all through last night, and so did everybody else, so don't apologize. I would be surprised if you didn't."

I wonder how she can be so calm and collected. Maybe it's that Marine training that's keeping her saint, right now. I have the feeling that it is. I bet her emotions are all over the place right now, but she's trying to be strong for everyone else. For Dad.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Shireen?"

I run a hand through my hair and point to Tally. "This is Talitha. We all call her Tally."

Mom smiles. "She's a beauty."

I stay silent for a while, and look into my mother's eyes. I can't find any of the hatred and disappointment that I thought I'd find. All I can see is relief, and joy. Calmness. Strength. My mom is one of the strongest people I know. I know that she will get through this. I just hope that she won't do it alone.

"Enrique didn't come with you?"

Shaking my head, I put my bag on the ground. Lift my eyes to meet Mom's. "Enrique walked out on me when I told him I was pregnant. He wasn't ready."

Mom squeezes my hand. I feel so selfish. It should be _me_ squeezing _her_ hand. Not the other way around. "I should be doing this for you, Mom. You're the one who almost lost the love of her life yesterday."

"I'm fine, baby." She looks at Tally. "A little shocked, that this happened to your father, but so far everyone is pretty confident that he is going to be fine."

Is she saying that to convince herself? Probably. My father's heart-attack has affected her more than she wants to admit to everyone, I know that. "What happened, exactly?"

Mom shakes her head. "We'd gone sailing for a while, like we usually do on weekend every since your Dad finally retired. Anyway, we docked, and your Dad stepped up onto the dock, and suddenly turned around, told me that he wasn't feeling all that good, and just fell over. I did CPR and Shanae called 911."

Shanae was with them? She saw it happen? "Shanae was with you?"

Mom nods. "She and Kieran had come with us for the day. They were both there."

Oh, God. Shanae must be traumatized for the rest of her life. I close my eyes. Of all the things my little sister has to witness in her life, this shouldn't have been one. Poor Nae.

"Is she all right?"

"She will be." Before Mom has the chance to say anything else, the door to the family room opens, and we both look up.

Three faces look at me. Two familiar and a strange face. I try to swallow the lump in throat.

Noa is the first one to step forward. "Shireen?"

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**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: It's been a million years since I've last updated this story. I'm sorry, guys. Things have been extremely crazy around here, and my muze had left me, so I had no inspiration whatsoever. Hope that this chap was worth the wait...**

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Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, MA

1135 hours local

Noa doesn't wait for me to respond, and briskly turns her head around to Mom. "What is she doing here?"

Not everybody in my family is as forgiving as my mother, obviously. What the hell did you expect, Reen? That they'd accept you back with open arms? That they'd just tell you that we were going to put whatever happened in the past, behind us, and just focus on the fact that you're actually here? That they would all react the way Mom did?

Mom silently squeezes my hand. "Why don't you say hi, Noa?"

"Because I don't want to." Noa looks at me with disgust in her eyes. "She doesn't have the right to be here. _She_ walked out on _us, _remember?"

Gabriel and the other man that I don't know, are standing there, watching the scene Noa is about to make. I sniff, press Tally against my chest, and look at Noa. I've really hurt you, haven't I, Noa? I've really hurt you. And I'm sorry.

"Who called her, anyway?" The anger is written across Noa's face.

Mom rises and puts a calming hand on her arm. "I did, Noa. Shireen deserved to know what happened to Dad as much as the other four of you."

Noa's eyes flash. "Right. So she can just walk out of our lives and walk back in whenever she damn well pleases? Is that how this works, Mom?"

Taking a deep breath, I lift my eyes to look in the direction of the door. It's blocked by Gabe. His eyes lock with mine, and I look away. I can't look at him. I can't pretend that it's all fine. Because, judging by Noa's reaction to me being here, it's not. It's not fine at all.

"Noa Faith, I'm not going to justify my actions to you, because I simply don't have to. I am still _your_ mother, and I am still _her_ mother, and Shireen is still my daughter. Time and distance is not going to change that, or the fact that I love her. So, I have called Shireen because _I_ wanted her here. If I were you, I'd make peace with that."

We both stare at Mom. I'm surprised that Mom's defending me, and apparently, so is Noa. Surprised, that Mom is defending me. She presses her lips together to a fine line and stands there, looking at me. At Tally. Turns around to the door. Locks eyes with the guy I don't know. Turns back to Mom.

"If that's the case, call me when Dad gets out of the hospital. I'll visit him at home." With that, she waltzes passed Gabe and the other guy, out of the room. No, my big sister is not as forgiving as my mother.

The other man follows her out. Gabe remains standing there, his eyes firmly locked on me. I can't look at him. Instead, I look up to Mom, who gives me a small smile. "It'll be all right, Reen. You'll see. Noa just needs some time to adjust. It'll be fine."

I still don't know who she is trying to assure; herself or me. I nod. I want to believe her, but I don't think I can.

"So, the lost daughter has returned home." The tone of Gabe's voice is harsh.

Mom shoots him a warning look. "Don't you start, too, Gabriel. The most important thing is that Shireen decided to come back home, now. That's the only thing that counts."

Gabe purses his lips. "Who is she?"

Tally. I take a deep breath. "Your niece, Tally."

For a split second, I can see his eyes grow wide. Gabe nods. "So, you and Enrique worked out after all. She looks like him."

I manage a small smile. "Enrique is no longer part of my life, Gabe. Hasn't been ever since he found I was pregnant."

Gabe's eyes soften when he hears me. He shuffles with his feet. "I'm sorry to hear that. He really meant a lot to you."

"Yes, he did." I'm not here to talk about Enrique, but I guess that they all deserve to know. "How is Vanessa?"

Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jacket, Gabe shrugs. "Pregnant. Annoyed, irritated, and all those other things you girls are when you're pregnant. This one was a complete surprise, and she had a hard time adjusting. We weren't going to have a third, but we did anyway." He pauses. "She misses you."

I clench my teeth and nod. Oh, for heaven's sake, Reen, get a grip on those emotions, will you? "I miss her, too, Gabe," I whisper.

He takes a deep breath and steps aside to let the doctor into the room. Nods in my direction.

"Mrs. Rabb?"

"Yes?" Mom starts to fidget with her fingers, something she always does when she's nervous. Some things never change…

"Everything is fine. You should be able to see him in a few minutes. If everything stays the same today and through tonight, I think you should be able to take him home tomorrow. The day after tomorrow at the latest."

Mom lets her breath escape. "Really?"

The doctor nods. "Yes, really. He has to take it easy and slow for a few days, but I think that I can trust you to take care of that?"

"Better count on that, Dr. Jacobs." Mom takes his outstretched hand. "Thank you, so much."

Dr. Jacobs smiles. "You're very welcome, Mrs. Rabb." With that, he leaves us in the family room.

"Would you like to see Dad, Shireen?" Mom asks me.

I bite my lower lip. "I don't know," I confess. "I'm not so sure that that is a good idea, right now. Do you?"

Mom walks over from where she's standing to sit next to me. Takes one of my hands and gives it a gentle squeeze. "I think that your Dad would really like to see you, honey. He never really forgave himself for that last fight you had and…"

"The fight didn't really have anything to do with why I left, Mom," I interrupt. "I tried to make myself think that, that I was so angry with Dad because he didn't approve of me being with Enrique, but in the end, that wasn't why I left." Breathe, Shireen. Keep breathing. "I left because of something else."

Again, Mom squeezes my hand. "He would love to see you, sweetheart. I know he would." She doesn't ask me about the reason why I left, if it wasn't for the fights with Dad. She just doesn't. And I'm very grateful that she doesn't. "Besides, I think he needs to meet his granddaughter."

As if she heard that, Tally shifts in my arms and murmurs something against my neck. I softly stroke her over head. "I think I'd like to see Dad." I look at Gabe, somehow searching for his approval. He gives me a slight nod.

"You two go see him; I'll go and relieve Vanessa from the kids. Mom, please go home after you've seen him, okay? Take Reen home and get some rest. He'll probably sleep the entire afternoon after this. Please?" He's begging her to get some rest. Not that he doesn't know how important Dad is to Mom, but Mom needs to take good care of herself, too. She won't be able to take proper care of him once he gets home, otherwise.

"I promise, Gabriel. I'll go home once I've seen that your father is all right." She ushers him out of the room before he can take a second look.

Gabe trades a look with me. Stops. Then walks over to me and envelopes me in a big hug. The kind of hug only a big brother can give you. The kind of hug that makes you feel completely safe. "Whatever happened, Reen, I'm glad that you came back."

Trying to fight the tears, I close my eyes. "So am I, Gabe. So am I."

"Nessa will be so excited to have you here. I'll have her call you." Gabe pulls me closer for one last time and then lets go. He steps back and looks at me. Smiles. "Take care of yourself, Reen."

I sniff. "I will."

Gabe kisses Mom on her cheek and makes his way down the hall, to the elevators. I look at his disappearing form. Mom tugs on my arm and leads me to Dad's room. My eyes grow wide when I see my Dad in that hospital bed. He's pale and looks weak. This is not my Dad. My Dad is strong, and vital and energetic. The man in that bed is neither of the three.

Mom goes to stand next to him, takes his hands and kisses his cheek. "Guess who's here, Harm?" She stretches her free hand out to me and hesitantly I take it. I can't believe that she's so happy to see me. After what I did to them…

"Shireen is here, Harm."

Dad hasn't said anything yet, and now his eyes shift from Mom to me. To me and Tally. A slow grin spreads on his tired face. "Couldn't stay away from home, after all, huh?" His tone is teasing.

This time, the tears start to roll down my cheeks. "You figured that this was the only way to get me back home, Dad? A heart attack?"

He shrugs. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." He smiles at me and looks at Tally. "Your daughter is a beauty, Princess. She looks like her father, though."

I nod, still crying. "She does." Dad's making small talk like he hasn't missed me in the past six years. Like I've been in the neighborhood. "Will you please get better, Dad? Don't scare us like you did, okay?" I sit down on the bed.

Dad reaches for my hand and holds it tight. "I promise, honey. I'll take good care of myself when I get out of here."

Letting my breath escape, I look into his eyes. "Don't make a promise you can't keep, Daddy."

He licks his lips. "I haven't yet, Shireen. I haven't yet."

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**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Wow guys, it's been ages since I've updated this story. I know, I know. Sorry! RL tends to get in the way, you know how things can be. Anyway, the inspiration is back, and although this chapter is a little short, enjoy it anyway. ;-)**

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Rabb Residence  
Annapolis, VA  
2054 hours local

I softly lay Tally down on her bed. She's been awake and jumping since we got back from the hospital earlier this afternoon. The funny thing is, she just adapted to being with her grandparents. As if she'd known them all her life.

Kissing her forehead, I turn of the lights, and walk downstairs. Mom is probably in the kitchen, making cookies or cake. Maybe even both. That is what she does when things get tough. She bakes.

Nothing has changed around here. My old room is still the same, the living room hasn't changed a bit, and neither has the yard. There are more pictures of the family around, but that is it. Mom has told me that the guy who was with Noa this afternoon was her fiancé, David. When Mom told me that, I knew that there was something familiar about him. But me being on an emotional roller coaster this afternoon, I didn't recognize him.

"Mom?"

My mother turns around. "What is it, honey?"

"Can I use the phone? I need to call some people in Miami, let them know what's going on." In other words, I need to call Harry.

She smiles. "Of course you can. You know where the phone is."

I nod. "Thank you."

Mom turns back around to the counter and I walk to the living room. Then out onto the front porch. Harry answers his phone after three rings. "Hello?"

"Harry? It's me." I'd texted him this morning to let him know that there was _something_ going on, but he doesn't know what.

I can hear him exhale. "Thank god, Reen. What's going on? Why did you take the first flight out this morning?"

"I'm back in Annapolis, Harry. I'm back home."

It stays quiet on the other end of the phone. "Wow. That's huge, Reen."

Yeah, I know. Trust me, I know that that's huge. "I know. My father had a heart attack, yesterday."

"Is he all right?"

"He will be." I wipe the tears out of my eyes. My voice is cracking up. "I'm not used to this."

"Not used to what?" Harry asks. He sounds confused. "Not used to what, Reen?"

I sniff. "Noa is so mad at me… I know that I've hurt her, I really do, but she's so angry… Gabe is just his usual self, he's a nice guy and everything, he just took me back without asking questions, but Noa… I don't know what to do with her."

Harry exhales and pauses to think about what he's going to say next. "I think that Noa is disappointed that you left when you did and never tried to contact them, Reen. Which is logical, I guess."

"You know why I never contacted them, Harry," I say. Okay, so maybe the tone of my voice was a little too harsh. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"Of course you did," Harry says. "But I don't blame you. I know why you didn't contact them, and I don't judge you. You know that I'm the last person on earth who has the right to do that. Just give Noa a little time to adjust to the fact that you decided to come back. It can't be easy for her either, you know."

I sigh. "I know."

"Have you seen Shanae and Kai?"

"No," I shake my head. Not that he can see. "I haven't. Shanae had orders from my mom to stay at home today and Kai is out on tour. He couldn't come back before tomorrow."

"Mmm." Harry is thinking, I can hear it. "Are you nervous to see them?"

I sink on the swing. "Not really. I don't know, honestly. I mean, I haven't seen them in what? Six years? Things have changed. _They_ have changed."

"They have," Harry agrees. "But you've changed as well. You've matured just as they have, Reen. Don't worry about that."

That's easier said then done. And Harry knows that. I'm scared to see Shanae and Kai. I really am. I don't know why. My little brother and sister were everything to me, and I've just left them. Let them down. Majorly.

Harry takes a breath. "Take it one day at a time, Shireen. You can't do anything about it now. Just take it one day at the time."

"Yeah, I know." It's quiet outside. That's what I remember about the house I grew up in. It's quiet around here. In Miami I live about two hundred yards away from a road, so there's always something going on. Here, everything is quiet.

"How's Tally?"

"Tally is great. She just adapted to everything without blinking twice. I wish I could be her, right now. At least my Mom and Gabe were okay with me walking in like that. And Dad was so happy to see me, Harry…" My voice breaks. Again. "I was so scared to see him, and then I walked into his hospital room and I asked him if he really had to have a heart attack just to get me back here, and all he said was that a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. It was just like nothing happened. Like the past six years didn't happen."

I take a deep breath. I'm babbling. "And that is just so weird. Because the past six years, _did_ happen. They really did, Harry."

"It's all right," Harry sooths. "You're right, they did happen. But they took you back, right? Let you in without asking questions?"

"Yes…" My voice sounds small even in my own ears.

"Focus on that. Don't focus on what you've done or haven't done in the past few years; focus on the fact that you're there now." He pauses. "Are you going to be okay there? By yourself? Do you need me to come over?"

Again, I shake my head. "I couldn't ask that of you. The university needs you. We can't let the entire history section disappear to Virginia, just because my dad had a heart attack."

Harry sighs. "Honey, if you need me, I jump on the next plane down there, no questions asked. It's all up to you."

Although I can use a shoulder to cry on right now, Harry needs to stay right where he is. Him showing up would only make things more complicated than they already are.

"No, you stay put. I'll be fine."

He doesn't believe me, I know that, but it should be fine. He doesn't push me. "Okay. But call me if you need to, all right? No matter the time, just call me."

"I will, Harry," I say.

"You promise?" he asks.

"I promise."

"Okay." He's going to end the conversation now. "Give my love to Tally, all right? I'll talk to you soon. And don't worry about Shanae and Kai. Things will be fine."

I nod. Of course they will. Don't know when or how, but they will. "Okay. I'll talk to you soon."

We end the conversation and I sit out on the porch for a little while. I have to face the two younger ones tomorrow and I dread it. I really do. But I made the big step of coming back, already right? Everything else should just be a piece of cake.

If that could only be the truth…

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**TBC...**


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